Whipped Cream,ABunny Suit,& A Descending Aphrodite
by Baine
Summary: Halloween. A time for scares, tricks and...maybe a little bit of revenge?


Top of Form

Whipped Cream, A Bunny Suit, and a Descending Aphrodite  
By Baine  
Email: October 31, 2001

Hey everybody! Happy Halloween!!! By the time you read this, it'll be November because I finished typing so late, but I DID finish on Halloween!!! Yay! I know, I know… i A Place To Call Home /i …Like I said, I ran into a MAJOR problem, but I hope to have it fixed soon!Well, that's it for now. Wish this had been out sooner, but I had the CRAZIEST schedule this week...

This story is dedicated to my sweetest bud Siggy (again), because she's in the process of moving away. Sigs, this is your going-away present, since I won't have anything else done before you leave. I luv ya to death, girlie! And remember:  
CENTER "You will soon find your prince. Mine just took a wrong turn, got lost, and is too stubborn to ask for directions!"  
Oh, stop your pouting, you'll find your Mamo-Chan!   
Yummy Tami-Kins!!!   
"Ahh! You've spoiled me for life! Now I only want  
Mr. Wonderful...I won't settle for anything less...  
So why am I surrounded by all these frogs?"  
But, don't cry, we'll one day kiss those two frogs that really  
ARE princes! After all,  
.·:No GuY iS wOrTh YoUr TeArS AnD ThE oNe ThAt Is WoN't MaKe YoU CrY:·. /CENTER  
((sound familiar?)) I'm gonna miss you!!!!!!!!!

DISCLAIMER: Halloween? Not mine, but I wish it was! Same deal with Sailor Moon and the Bog of Eternal Stench! I got this idea from a vision about whipped cream, a bunny suit, and a descending Aphrodite. Doesn't make sense? It soon will! Read on and enjoy!Happy Halloween!

** b **

**-------------------------------------------------------****  
Whipped Cream, A Bunny Suit, and a  
Descending Aphrodite  
By Baine  
****------------------------------------------------------- /b **

As the doors jingled and a lady began to shriek in agony, Tsukino Usagi happily entered the Crown Fruit Parlor, lightly humming "The Monster Mash."   
She plopped down onto a stool near the counter and grinned sardonically at the sandy-haired young man who came over to serve her. "Hey Motoki! You  
went all out for Halloween, didn't you?"

He flashed her a lopsided smile and chuckled. "Of course I did. It's my favorite holiday!"

"And your dad didn't care?"

"He loves Halloween even more than I do! Besides, he's the one who wired the door to make it scream whenever it opens!" He grinned again, causing Usagi's heart to strain against her chest as it began to beat a little faster.

She giggled and leaned closer until she was almost touching him. "Want to know a secret?"

"Sure."

"I love Halloween, too!"

Motoki threw back his head and laughed. "I already knew that, silly!"

Usagi leaned back in her chair and rested her chin into the palm of her hand. "So, Motoki, are you going to dress up for Halloween?"

"Of course! What fun is throwing a Masquerade Party if you don't come dressed up yourself?"

She crinkled her nose in thought. "I would think that it wouldn't be as much fun!"

"You and the girls are still coming, right?"

"Definitely! We wouldn't miss it for anything!"

"Good." He smiled warmly down at her.

"So, what's your costume going to be?" She twirled her fingers around a stray curl of hair, letting it go and watching from the corner of her eye as it sprang back into its original position beside her chin.

"Well, I was thinking of dressing like a skeleton-"

"No way, Motoki! You can't do that!"

"Why not?" He blinked at her, startled.

"Because it is sooo cliché! You've gotta be…I dunno, something dashing and romantic, not something lame and macho!"

"Dashing and romantic, hmm? And you have no ulterior motive for saying that, Odango?"

Usagi rolled her eyes and turned around to face the ebony-haired young man standing behind her. "Always a pleasure running into you, Chiba. Why do you feel  
the constant need to torment me with idiocies on this otherwise wonderful afternoon?

"Wow, that actually sounded smart." Mamoru blinked in surprise as he stared down at the golden-haired beauty sitting before him. Had she always been able to pull such witty words out of the middle of nowhere like that?

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment. That was sarcasm." Oh, but he could kick himself every time that he opened his own stupid mouth. Sometimes, he thought that his words came from the Bog of Eternal Stench.

"It's a compliment when it comes out of your mouth."

"You never answered my question, Odango." He narrowed his eyes as he focused on her flushed face.

"Which was?"

"Are you finally ready to tell Motoki you have a crush on him, or would you rather just keep flirting with him?"

Usagi frowned and shot him a dirty look. "I wasn't flirting with him, baka. Besides,  
Motoki is like my brother. It would be wrong to have a crush on him."

"And yet you do."

"No, Mamoru. You have i no clue /i what you're talking about."

"Sure I do. You-"

"No, Mamoru. This time it is i you /i who is wrong." She glared at him as he  
opened his mouth to speak. i "No." i/ 

"You can't talk to me like that, little girl." He clenched his hands into fists at his side and slowly counted to ten. Must...refrain...from...

"Little girl? Oh, please! You're only a couple of years older than I am."

"I'm three years older than you, Odango. You're fourteen. I'm seventeen. If you were twenty-four and I was twenty-seven, it wouldn't be so big of a gap, but  
right now we are light years apart. Of course, you won't even begin to understand what I mean until i you're /i in high school."

Usagi rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You just turned seventeen two months ago, you're not i that /i much more worldly than me."

Mamoru arched an eyebrow. "There's still quite a difference right now."

"You'd be surprised, Mamoru. You'd be surprised."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Usagi! I am so disappointed in you!" A girl with long buttery blond hair and bright aqua eyes came up behind her friend and lightly hit the back of her head.

"Ow, Minako! That HURT!" Usagi frowned as she raised a hand to the back of her head and turned away from Mamoru.

"Good! It was i supposed /i to, baka! You couldn't even last six measley hours! Twenty-four hours, Usagi. That was ALL we asked for!"

"But, Minako, I-"

"Save it, Usagi. I've been standing here for a while now. You can't fool me. Now, you know what you have to do."

"But I-"

" i Usagi! /i "

Usagi rolled her eyes and sighed reluctantly. "I hate you, Minako."

"No, you don't. You love me."

Usagi crinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at her friend before pouting petulantly. "This isn't fair."

"Life never is, is it?"

"You can say that again." Usagi frowned again. "I really hate life."

"No, you don't. You love it."

"No, Minako, I don't. I hate the harsh realities of life. I hate the weight that it can place upon someone's shoulders. I hate how it can make you grow up too damn fast! Life is cruel, and it always will be." Usagi frowned as she met her friend's eyes.

"Then again, without life, I would be nothing. No matter how much I may hate it, I love the few bones that Life occasionally tosses my way, even though they are too few and far apart." Usagi frowned in thought as she reflected on her secret life as Sailor Moon, a life that she had never wanted in the first place, before placing the thought far away in the back of her mind.

She tossed her head and gave a small half-smile. "But why are we sitting around contemplating the meaning of life? We're too young and naïve to have to worry about that, right Mamoru?" She looked behind her briefly before turning back to Minako. "Now, don't you have a date to get back to? Go have fun. Stop worrying about me!"

"Are you okay, Usagi?" Minako tilted her head, observing her friend's solemn face and deciding that it looked too foreign compared with her normal smile.

"I'm fine! Now go! Stop being such a mother hen. You're not i that /i much older than me!" She grinned and made a shooing motion until Minako reluctantly turned around and headed to a nearby booth where a boy with auburn hair sat, than turned back to Motoki and Mamoru with a smile. "So, anyway! Halloween is great, isn't it?"

Mamoru frowned at the small girl sitting beside him. "What was that all about, Usagi?"

"Wow, you remembered my name! I'm so proud of you! You deserve a cookie!"

"Stop changing the subject."

Usagi tilted her head towards Motoki. "Okay, a milkshake then! Motoki, don't you agree that Mamoru deserves a yummy treat for finally remembering my name?"

"Are you alright, Usagi?" Motoki exchanged a concerned glance with Mamoru before reaching out to bring his palm to her cool forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" She giggled as she ducked away from his hand. "I mean, it's almost Halloween, and I have the perfect costume! We're actually doing fun stuff in school for once, so I don't have to worry about failing anything, and Mamoru-baka finally acknowledged the fact that I actually have a name! Could life i be /i any better?"

Motoki furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, according to a comment you made only minutes ago, life could be a whole lot worse."

"So it can, but today it's good, and that's all that matters!"

"Usagi!"

Usagi turned back to Mamoru and happily chirped, "Yes, Mamoru?"

"Stop it." He stared at her in anger, wanting to rub the smile from her face and see what was hiding beneath the surface.

"Stop what?"

"Stop i acting. /i Cut it with all of this fake bullshit about being so happy and excited. I don't know what's wrong, but don't i ever /i pretend to be happy when you're not. It's okay to be sad every once in a while. No one can be happy all of the time."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mamoru." Usagi narrowed her eyes and glared at him, disregarding the concerned look in his eyes as she continued to change the subject. "I'm perfectly happy. You should know me well enough by now. Aren't you? Don't you love Halloween as much as Motoki and I do?"

"No." He replied flatly, his face shutting down and becoming impassive.

"Oh."

"Why do you love Halloween so much?"

"Why do you not?"

"You answer me and I'll answer you, how's that? But you go first."

Usagi sighed in exasperation. "Fine, whatever. I'm not going to argue with you today, Mamoru. I i haven't /i , not really…and I don't intend to, especially not over something as stupid as this." She tossed her head and crinkled her nose before continuing.

"I love Halloween because it allows you to be someone entirely different from who you normally are. It allows you to forget everything and live in a world of  
fantasy, if only for one night. I can stop being me, and be a…a medieval princess, a beautiful fairy, a character straight out of a fairytale! I know that I'm not making sense, but…I never do, so it's okay!" She shrugged and smiled whimsically. "So, your turn. Why do you hate Halloween so much?"

"I just do. I don't know, I just have really bad memories about the holiday. I don't have any good ones."

"Oh. Like what?" She tilted her head curiously.

Mamoru stared solemnly at the golden-haired girl standing before him before finally replying, his voice faint and faraway. "Memories that no child should ever have to have. Things that should never be repeated."

"It's not good to keep yourself locked away from the world—in it, but not of it. That's going to be your downfall, Mamoru."

"Okay, now it's my turn to change the subject."

"What do you want to talk about? This is a first, talking instead of arguing." She smiled faintly, allowing it to reach her eyes as she saw him return the look.

"Think it will last?" He leaned back on his stool and rested his arm against the counter.

"Only if you don't call me Odango."

"Only if you stop bashing into me all the time."

Usagi crinkled her nose at him before giggling softly. "Somehow, I doubt any of that will ever happen." She grinned lightly, steering them away from any possible  
arguments. "So, what are you going to be for Halloween, anyway? Yourself? That's pretty scary on a daily basis!"

"Cute, Odango. What about you? I'm sure you aren't going to go around in an Odango costume."

She giggled again. "No, I'm a bit more original than that…but not by much."

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head curiously. Now she had him intrigued!

She grinned wickedly and imperceptibly moved closer to Mamoru, giggling softly. "Well, I decided to be a bunny. I'm going to wear this skintight white body  
suit and a tiny white skirt. It's about as short as the skirts the Sailor Senshi wear. The bodysuit is kind of like theirs too, but it has a tiny v-neck and there's no collar."

She gestured with her hands as she talked, causing him to visualize i much /i more than she had planned. "I'm going to wear these sheer-white stockings, and thin white ballet slippers. I'll wear long white gloves that cover most of my arms, and I'll let my hair down, so that my fluffy white bunny ears will fit better on my head. Oh, and I'll also have a fluffy white tail on my butt that I sewed to the skirt. I'll paint my skin white, then I'll paint thin black whiskers on my face and make my nose a cotton-candy pink." She smiled innocently up at Mamoru. "Well, what do you think?"

Mamoru blinked. "Well, I, uh…"

Usagi giggled softly and leaned towards Mamoru's ear. "After all, my name i does /i mean Rabbit, doesn't it?" She pulled back with a grin and winked at  
him, than turned and sauntered out of the arcade, leaving behind a stunned Mamoru, the only coherent thought in his mind being, i Wh—What just happened? /i

-----------------------

"I can't believe you did that, Usagi!" Mina exclaimed as she flopped down onto Usagi's neatly-made bed, mussing up the covers.

Usagi scowled at her friend in annoyance. "Well, you made me! I wasn't even being mean to that baka, and you came up to me and started lecturing me, so what  
other choice did I have?"

"Still…I have i never /i seen Mamoru so speechless! Never! His jaw was still on the ground even i after /i you left. His eyes were all glazed over, too, and he was staring blankly at the seat you had vacated as though you were still there! He couldn't even speak a coherent sentence! It was pretty funny, actually! You actually got through to him. You shocked the great Chiba Mamoru!"

"Well isn't that what you girls dared me to do?"

"Still! I didn't think you would do that good of a job! I mean, it was like you froze him to his seat, he didn't even i blink! /i "

Usagi giggled and rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you're exaggerating, V-Chan. I mean, how could little old me have caused such a reaction in him?"

Minako smiled mysteriously. "If you only knew, Usagi. If you only knew."

Usagi narrowed her cerulean eyes at her friend. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing."

" i Minako… /i "

"If you want to know so badly, ask Mamoru." Minako tossed her head before frowning at her friend. "Now Usagi…about your costume…why did you tell Mamoru what i I /i was going to wear?"

"Because it's sexier than what I'm wearing, and I wanted to shock him."

"Your costume is plenty sexy, Usagi!"

"No, it's not. It's just a dress. A i long /i dress that doesn't show all that flesh!"

"But you're going to be beautiful, Usagi! The goddess Aphrodite herself!"

"You would look better, since you i are /i the senshi of love and beauty!"

"Then what would be the point of being each other, hmm? Besides…would you really be comfortable showing so much skin?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Well then! Stop being petulant, okay? It's Halloween in two days, right? Let's go have some fun!"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I want to decorate!" Minako reached for the duffle bag lying at the foot of the bed that she had brought over and pulled out a roll of crepe paper and a handful of  
cobwebs, then the two girls quickly got to work.

-----------------------

"Hey Mamoru, what's up?"

Mamoru absently looked up from the piece of paper he had been staring at and smiled at his best friend Motoki. "Hey 'Toki. What are you doing here?"

"Shopping for the party tomorrow night. I mean, this i is /i a food store, isn't it?"

Mamoru rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I just didn't expect to run into you, that's all."

Motoki peered down into Mamoru's shopping basket and raised an eyebrow. "Mamoru, I'm surprised! I thought you ate more than just this type of stuff. You know, just because certain types of food are healthy doesn't mean that it's all you should consume 24/7."

"I have most of what I have at home already, Motoki. I'm just getting what I'm starting to run low on."

"Still! Eat something fun from time to time—something that's bad for you!"

"Like what?"

Motoki shifted through his shopping cart before pulling out a thin red can and tossing it into Mamoru's cart. "Like whipped cream!"

"What would I do with that, Motoki? I don't-"

"You'll figure something out, you always have before." He ignored the bottle in Mamoru's outstretched hands. "Get some cherries and ice cream, make a sundae.   
Get some pie and spray it on top. Make something interesting if you ever invite company over."

"This is why I never ask you to come with me when I shop, Motoki." He groaned and started to maneuver his cart down the aisle.

"Which is why your food is always so boring. Live vicariously. Try something new. Don't be afraid to cut loose and have fun occasionally, you know?"

"Why do I get the feeling that we're not talking about food anymore?"

Motoki winked and began to walk down the aisle. "Try it out and see what happens, Mamoru. I'll see you tomorrow." He steered his cart around the stack of cereal boxes and disappeared around the corner, humming softly under his breath.

Mamoru picked up the can and turned it over in his hands. He frowned balefully and slowly dropped the offending canister it back into his cart and continued on his way.

-----------------------

Mamoru idly thumbed the remote control, flipping aimlessly between the stations, but not really watching the screen. He paused as he came across a commercial of a girl bathing under a waterfall using Kismet Shampoo, her golden blond hair cascading down her back and reminding him of Usagi. The words i Kismet Shampoo /i flashed across the screen and the girl reappeared in a flowing lilac gown that hung off her shoulders with a crowd of wild animals staring up at her in  
awe. The girl stared down at a fluffy white rabbit that she cuddled in her arms and softly stroked its fur as the slogan slowly formed on the screen: i Making your hair as soft as nature. /i 

Mamoru groaned in frustration and quickly switched the channel as his thoughts traveled once more to the blond-haired girl who had been invading his mind since the day before.

i This shouldn't be driving me insane. I b always /b think about Usagi…but…why should now be any different? /i 

Mamoru switched off the TV and walked into the kitchen, opening his refrigerator and peering inside.

i Could it be that she likes me as much as I like her? Was she flirting with me yesterday? But, if she was...that means she likes me. When Minako came up  
to her, she didn't seem all that thrilled…but…what if she DOES like me? Should I tell her how I feel? No, I shouldn't. I could scare her off, especially if she b doesn't /b like me back! She could rip my heart out of my chest so easily. Whenever I think of her, my mind seems to melt and I get this warm, tingly feeling inside. If I'm in a bad mood and I see her, it just dissipates, and I feel like I'm floating on Cloud Nine instead of lounging around in my own personal hell. /i 

His eyes landed on the can of whipped cream Motoki had forced him to buy and he pulled it out, weighing it in his hands and staring at it thoughtfully.

i Should I tell her? Tonight i is /i All Mischief Night, after all. I can do it inadvertently and she'll never even know that it was me! /i 

A slow smile spread across his face as he slowly closed the refrigerator door...

-----------------------

"Usagi, time to get up!" Tsukino Ikuko chirped as she walked into her daughter's bedroom. "It's Halloween!"

Usagi blearily opened one eye before closing it again, rolling over and mumbling, "Just one more minute, Mom, promise..." A moment later, her eye sprang open  
again, quickly followed by the other one, and she rapidly sat up. "Halloween? Today? Alright!"

Her mouth opened in a huge yawn and she groggily rubbed her eyes, then swung her feet out from under the covers and quickly jumped out of bed, running around and throwing on her school uniform, pulling on a pair of white knit socks with orange pumpkins on them, and grabbing her dangling ghost earrings. She hopped in front of her mirror, quickly styled her hair into two streaming balls atop her head, and flew down the steps and into the kitchen.

"Wow, Usagi! You're up early! You can actually eat with us for once!"

Usagi stuck her tongue out at her brother as she headed to where her father sat reading the paper and plopped a kiss on the top of his balding head. "Morning, Daddy!"

"Morning, Usa! You're awfully chipper today!"

"Yup! It's Halloween!"

She hurriedly grabbed a couple pieces of toast and stuffed them in her mouth, then took the lunch her mom handed her, waved goodbye, and quickly headed for  
the front door, slipping on her shoes and grabbing her book bag before heading outside.

As she stepped onto the porch, Usagi froze in shock and her eyes widened.

Spread across the lawn were curly white words proclaiming, i I Love You /i . Sitting on each side of the porch was a perfectly-rounded jack-o-lantern. Each one had a crudely-drawn circle in the middle with two smaller circles atop it. Two thin lines streamed down from each of the baby circles. The second pumpkin had a piece of paper jutting out of it, which Usagi shakily pulled out and opened.

i Usako  
This is the only way I could think of to tell you about my feelings.  
I love you. /i 

Usagi stared inquisitively at the simple note she held in her hands before scanning her front lawn once again. She slowly folded the note and slipped it into her pocket as she headed off to school.

-----------------------

"Usagi, you look so pretty!" Minako grinned at her friend as she swiveled her around in her flowery vanity chair so that she was facing the mirror. "You look just like the goddess that you are!"

"Minako!" Usagi blushed and ducked her head before peeking back up at her friend. "You look nice, too!"

"Thanks!" She preened and fluffed her long hair. "So, are you ready to go? Our chariot awaits!"

"Yeah…though I dread what my father's gonna say when he sees us!"

"Nothing, of course. After all, your i mom /i is the one who's going to be driving us to the party."

"How'd you pull that one off?"

"Secret!"

"Minako…!" Usagi gave a mock growl and playfully swatted her friend's arm, then the two girls quickly exited the room and headed downstairs.

-----------------------

Mamoru leaned lazily against the refreshment table, his azure eyes aimlessly flitting around the room until they stopped to rest at the doorway. He unconsciously  
straightened up as a blond-haired girl in a bunny costume entered the room.

He frowned as he took in her appearance, from her sparkly ears to her slippered feet.

i This girl sure b looks /b like Usagi, but…different. She doesn't make me tingle the way that Usa normally does. /i 

He frowned absently as he watched her descend the stairs gracefully and head over to a nearby pillar, where she greeted a devil and a pumpkin. He tilted his   
head, recognizing the raven-haired girl in the flaming red body suit and short skirt to be Hino Rei, and the aqua-haired girl in the fuzzy pumpkin suit to be Mizuno Ami.

He watched the group as they waved at someone on the steps. He swiveled to see a girl dressed as Xena descending the steps and heading towards them, her curly, chestnut-brown hair cascading just past her shoulders. i Kino Makoto, /i he thought absently. i That must make the blond-haired girl Aino Minako…so where's Usagi, and why did she lie about her costume? /i 

He stared unconsciously at the spot Makoto had just vacated as he lost himself in thought, only to come tumbling back to reality when a vision from his dreams entered his line of view. His eyes snapped open, loosing their dreamy glaze, and he drew in a quick breath. Standing in the spot that her friend had recently vacated stood Tsukino Usagi, more beautiful than Mamoru remembered her ever being. He hungrily took in her appearance: the way her long, silky hair tumbled freely to the ground, shining like spun-gold. The way her eyes shone sapphire in the muted light. The way her strapless gold dress clung to her body in all the right places, flaring out at the bodice and flowing elegantly to the ground. Gold sparkles shimmered iridescently from their position on her cheeks, reflecting the light, and a dazzling smile graced her face.

Mamoru slowly let out the breath he had been holding, his eyes never wandering from the beautiful vision hovering before him. He watched her glance around the room as though looking for someone before her gaze landed on where her friends stood, waving madly and excitedly calling her name. She smiled happily and quickly descended the last of the steps, heading over to her friends. i She's gorgeous! /i He thought, unable to take his eyes away from her.

"Whatcha up to, Mamoru?"

Mamoru turned to see a guy dressed in the elegant red robes of an Emperor, with a small red hat perched upon his head. "Motoki, you look ridiculous."

"Not 'dashing and romantic?'"

"You should have stuck to the skeleton idea instead of catering to the whims of a fourteen-year old."

"You mean the same fourteen-year old that you can't keep your eyes off of tonight?"

"Shut up."

"Don't let Reika hear you trashing my outfit, or she'll trash i you /i ."

Mamoru shook his head in disgust. "Man, you are so whipped."

"Better to be whipped than alone." He eyed Mamoru's dark outfit. "That cape must be sweltering! And you're actually wearing makeup!"

"It's face paint, Motoki. And the cape is cotton, so it's not so bad."

"Still, Dracula. I never would have thought that you had it in you, dude...thought you're definitely mysterious enough to pull it off. You're dashing and romantic without even trying! Do you see all the girls fawning all over you?"

"Whatever, Motoki. I'm going to go get a breath of air. It's a bit stuffy in here." He brushed past his smirking friend and walked out onto the balcony, leaning on the edge and staring up into the night sky.

"It's beautiful out tonight, isn't it?"

Mamoru started at the lilting voice, and he tilted his head to see Usagi standing beside him. "It is. The moon actually looks orange tonight."

Usagi sighed whimsically and propped her shoulders on the railing. "I love the moon."

"It's very relaxing."

"Yeah..."

"What are you doing out here all alone?"

She shrugged absently. "I don't know. It was boring inside."

"You didn't want to dance?" He stared intently into the sky, trying his best to pretend nonchalance. How did she have the ability to turn him to putty with a single word or touch?

"Nah. I mean, I could have. I had some guys come up to me and all. I'm just not in a dancing mood though, you know? Besides, I'm such a klutz that I would probably kill my partner!"

"I'm sure that you wouldn't."

"You've never seen me dance." She sighed longing and tilted her head up towards the sky. "My friends, on the other hand…they're so graceful and elegant. I would love to be like them."

"Where are they?"

"Dancing."

"While you're out here with me."

She shrugged again. "I just needed some air. It was so stuffy in there."

"I agree." He turned to face her. "What happened to the bunny suit? Did you switch costumes with Minako?"

"Hmmm?" Usagi's frowned, puzzled, before she realized what he was talking about. A blush stained her cheeks and she ducked her head. "No, I was never going  
to be a bunny. From the start, I was going to be Minako, and she was going to be me."

"Oh?"

"I'm a bunny, so she would be a bunny, and...and the girls and I like to tease her sometimes by calling her Aphrodite. It's an inside joke. So, anyway, here I am, pretending to be the goddess of love and beauty."

"You're doing a good job. You look really pretty tonight." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye before quickly looking away again, thanking his lucky stars that it was too dark for her to see his red face.

She blushed again. "Thanks. You know...you're being really nice tonight, Mamoru."

"Well, it i is /i Halloween."

"Then may it stay tonight forever. It's so much easier to get along than it is to fight." She leaned against the railing and peered down at the foliage below.

"That it is."

"And yet we'll be right back at square one tomorrow."

"Why, Tsukino Usagi, are you implying that you want to be my friend?" He quickly turned his head to face her and watched in amusement as she quickly turned her face away from him.

"No, of course not! That would be dumb!"

He smiled softly. "I never said that I would mind being your friend, Usagi."

"You wouldn't?" She gave him a swift glance, her forehead crinkling in thought.

"Of course not."

"Wow. I mean...wow. I never thought that you would say that. Friends. Wow."

He smiled nonchalantly and changed the subject, sensing her uneasiness with the current topic at hand. "Hey, Usagi?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why did you lie about your costume? Were you embarrassed?"

"No, it's not that. It's kind of an embarrassing story, though."

"I won't laugh. I promise."

"Well...I mean, the girls dared me to shock you, and that was the only way that I could think of to do it. It was a gamble, but it paid off. Minako said that you were still stunned even after I left the arcade!"

"So, you just did it to trick me and get a reaction?"

"I guess so. When you put it that way, it makes me sound really bad. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Usagi. I don't mind. Did you at least win your dare?"

"Yeah..." Usagi turned so she was facing Mamoru and looked up at him thoughtfully. "Hey, Mamoru?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being so nice to me tonight. You've listened to me, talked to me...you've even called me by my name! I just...thank you."

He smiled down at her softly. "You're welcome."

"Do you still want to be my friend?"

"Of course. I will always be your friend, Usako."

"Usako?"

"Erhm..." He blushed and turned away, staring at the ground in fascination.

"Mamoru?"

"Y...Yes?"

"It was you who messed up my lawn last night?" She stared at him with wide eyes, wishing that he would turn to face her so that she could see what he was thinking about.

"Ummm...what?" He bit his lip and closed his eyes in horror. i Stupid! /i 

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

" B I Mamoru... /B /I "

Mamoru sighed in frustration, mentally slamming his head into an invisible wall. His cheeks burned as he stared down at the curious blond girl standing before him before quietly stating, "Okay, so maybe I did do it."

"Why?" She tilted her head curiously, meeting his reluctant gaze and anxiously holding her breath.

"Because I didn't think that you would ever find out it was me."

"Why?" She frowned. "Because it was just some big, elaborate joke?"

"No."

"Then why?"

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"You'll laugh."

"You didn't laugh at me when I told you about my dare, so why would I laugh  
at you? Is that what it was? A dare?" Her eyes lit up in understanding, but for some reason, all she wanted to do was bury the information in the backyard and pretend that she'd never discovered it.

"No..."

"Then what?"

"I don't know. Motoki made me buy the whipped cream. He also gave me  
the pumpkins. I saw them and just...decided to anonymously tell you what I could  
never find the words to say. Obviously, it backfired on me."

"Chiba Mamoru, are you trying to tell me that you love me?" Her jaw dropped as she snapped her head around to face him once more.

"Ummm..." He winced under her sharp eyes and forced himself to maintain eye contact, even though he wanted nothing more than to run away and hide.

"I thought you hated me!"

"No, never." He shook his head earnestly and moved his hand as though to touch her before bringing it back to his side.

"Then why did you always tease me?" She bit her lip nervously.

"To bring a smile to your face. You always looked so sad when I saw you. Normally when someone is teased, they find it amusing. You always found it insulting."

"Oh. I...I don't know what to say."

"Then don't say anything." He shrugged nonchalantly, turned around, and  
headed back towards the ballroom.

"Mamoru, wait!"

He turned his head back towards her slowly, allowing the stark emotions cluttering his face to fade once more under his calm mask.

"You're serious, aren't you?" She scanned his face in earnest, looking to see if she could pinpoint any remnants of a lie and finding none.

"Aren't I always?"

"Mamoru, I...I'm too young to know what love is. I've never experienced it before."

"Neither have I."

She stepped closer to him and murmured, "What's it like?"

"Usagi..." He stifled a groan and resisted the urge to back up.

"Please tell me?"

Then again, when had he ever been able to resist her? "It's like...I don't know. Whenever I think of you, I feel like I'm floating on air. If I'm in a bad mood, all I have to do is think of you, and it just...dissipates. It feels me with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, and it's kind of scary, but at the same time, it's exhilarating."

"It sounds wonderful."

"It can be. It can also be painful." He shrugged and looked away.

"Painful?" She gasped in shock as he turned toward her once more, revealing his turbulent blue eyes swimming in despair.

"To know that you hate me and will never feel the same way that I do? It's not a good feeling to have, Usagi."

"I don't hate you, Mamoru. Besides, I'm only fourteen. I've never even had a boyfriend! How am I to know what love is?" She sighed wistfully. "But, Mamoru?  
Whenever I think of you, my pulse becomes erratic and my breath quickens. Sometimes, it feels as though fire is coursing through my body, making me all warm  
and tingly. It's not unpleasant, but...it scares me. Is that love?" She blushed and held her breath, feeling as though the weight of the world rested on his words.

"I don't know, Usagi." It wasn't—could it be? No. It wasn't possible.

"Even if it's not love, it's like, right? A crush that I've kept hidden, even from myself?"

"That's not something I can answer for you." He fought the urge to smile, dreading her response and yet wishing that it would be a positive one,

"Mamoru…will you do me a favor?"

"What?"

"Will you?"

"Tell me what you want first." He narrowed his eyes warily and scanned her face for hints of what she was thinking about.

"No, promise me."

"Usagi…"

" I Promise. I "

"Fine." He sighed in exasperation and hoped that he wouldn't live to regret his response. "What do you want?"

"Will you give me my first kiss?"

"What?" He stared at her, pole-axed.

"Don't make me repeat myself, please." She bit her lip and fought to keep her face from turning a bright shade of crimson.

"Usagi, I can't."

"Why not?" Her heart froze. After what he had said...had it only been a joke after all?

"Your first kiss...it's special. It's not something you ever forget." His heart tripped as he stared down into her upturned face, watching as a sad look flitted across her face. Had he caused it? Was she being serious?

"I know."

"But-"

"I want it to be with I you I , Mamoru. Please? Besides, you promised!" She looked up at him with wide-eyes, her breath hitching in her throat. Didn't he understand what she was asking him?

He sighed softly. "Fine." How could he tell her no when it would bring tears to her beautiful blue eyes? How could he deny her when her request was what he himself had been dreaming about for so long? He just...hadn't wanted it to happen like this.

"Good!" She stared up at him trustfully, losing herself in his cobalt eyes. She tilted her head upwards and allowed her lashes to flutter down over her eyes. A moment later, she felt his warm breath wafting over her lips before they touched his own, lingering briefly, yet sweetly, before pulling away. She slowly opened her eyes to see him staring at her in anticipation and...almost dread? Was he afraid of her? Did he fear her response?

"That was nice. A kiss to remember." She smiled shyly. "Even if I'm really inexperienced, if you're willing to teach me, than I'm willing to learn. I do like you, Mamoru, and I would be honored to be your girlfriend...or the girl you date...or...whatever."

He smiled softly. "I think you had it right the first time, Usako. I would love for you to be my girlfriend."

"And I would love for you to be my boyfriend...even if you i are /i a dangerous vampire who can kill me at anytime, especially now when we're all alone!" She  
grinned sweetly, unwittingly causing his heart to melt all over again.

He beamed down at her, a look of joy spreading across his face.

"You have a beautiful smile...Mamo-Chan. You should utilize it more often!"

"I will if you'll continue to hang around, always by my side." He stared down at her in awe, still unable to believe that this was really happening...that she was really i his /i .

"Of course!" She bobbed her head and grinned. "Try to stop me!"

"What's with the Mamo-Chan, anyway?" He asked, tilting his head at her as he reflected back on her last comment.

"I don't know. I just figured—I mean—if you have a nickname for me, than shouldn't I have one for you, too? But, if you don't like it...I mean, it's really dumb. I don't know what I was thinking, and-"

"No, I love it. Really! I think it's cute." He smiled reassuringly. His heart was doing cartwheels in his chest. She liked him enough to give him a nickname??

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm." He grinned roguishly and held out his hand. "So, would a beautiful goddess like yourself deem herself worthy enough to dance with a lowlife like me? I promise not to bite you i too /i hard."

"I thought you'd never ask." She smiled dazzlingly, taking his proffered hand and gazing up at him in adoration. "After all, we immortals have to band together, do we not?"

"But of course, milady." He smiled as he heard her bell-like laughter. Together they headed back into the ballroom, finally united as one.

-----------------------

Happy Halloween!!!

Like it? Hate it? I'm the one to talk to! Hit the little review button or Email today!

b 

**«·´·.(·.¸(·.¸ ¸.·´)¸.·).·´·»   
«·´¨·.¸¸. Baine.¸¸.·¨·»   
«·´·.(¸.·´(¸.· ·.¸)·.¸).·´·»**

/b 

Bottom of Form


End file.
